Timer



Patented i Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STA rss PATENT iori-fics.

MARION MALLORY, oir TOLEDO, Otridnssienon, BY Masiva Assieiviunnms, 'roy TH- x-W IGNirioN'conronArIoN, orotaviiitfinn,roiiro.Y 'y i I TIMER.Y

Appiication fue@iie'cembei26,-1922.l speriaiNo. 608,890. fl

This invention` relates to ignition? kapparatus, and particularly to tiiners'for Ford autol mobiles andothers havinglike ignition, systems. i

brator type,

maries of the different coils, each coil having a vibrator associated therewith for rapidly opening and closing the primary circuit, and the primaries of the dierent `coils beingw successively connected to the souroeby the rotating member of the timer or commutator.

`Vhile this system is satisfactory in many respects, it has the vdisadvantages that the circuit remains closed through the primary of each coil, except for the rapid interruptionsjproduced by the vibrator, as long as the segment of the timer is engaged by the rotor contact leaves the segment. This causes pitting of the timer' segments and in time interferes With the proper functioning of the system. a f l;

A, 1t Was proposed by me and described in my pending application Serial No. 539,973, filed February 28, 1922, to obviate this difficulty by placing in series with the rotor fof the timer a circuit breaker, the function of Which is togopenv the circuitljust before the rotor leaves each Of the segments.V By this expedient pitting of the `segments can be obviated and the life of the timer is"`not only greatly prolonged, 'but the initial -eflioiency of 'the system asa Whole is maintained longer than it otherwise -Would be since the segments off the timer are maintainedin smoothand relatively'clean condition. f A

The object of the present'invention is to embody/the device above 'referred to in a form satisfactory mechanically and electrically, and Without'v introducing undesirable' complications in the Way Of'special Wiring to Vincorporate the' circuit. breaker in the primary circuit and particularly to 'connect it to the rotor.V f Y m In theaecompanying sheet 'ofl drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a' vertical sectional f "view of the 'timer,with the 'timer shown elevated above the camshaft of the engine, the

section through the timer proper being taken .substantially along the irregular line 1'-`1 of Fig. 3; 2 isa sectional View through the As is Well'knOWn, Ford cars are usually equipped with `ignition systems of the' vi-4 the current. beingsupplied fromv a battery or magneto successively to the pri-V tiimerfproper, the section beingtaken substantiallyalong the line 2 `-2of.l5`ig. 3; VFig?) is a planl view'of vthe timer .Withlthecover of the v timer'vcase removed;` Figftisfa bottom vieW 'of the timer or commutator ring Which'qcar-- ries the statioiiary'segnients; andl Fig.` 5,-is a ydetachedelevation of the rotorlhead.

ln this instance, instead of mountingfthe lvtimerat the end of the cam shaft as is fre-V quentlydone, the timer is. driven by .an upright shaft geared to the end of the cam sh'aft ff aiidsupport'ed in a bracket Which maybe secured to 'the Vengine in any desiredmanner.l

the inventioiuas the 'timer embodying ymy iin-v.

"his, hoivev'ei',is not an essential featureifof vention maybe supported on the front ofthe engine atv-the endo'f the camshaft in the ivel'l knoivn'manner. 1. f 1 l In the embodiment shovvintlie-y en'd ofthe camshaft is illustrated at 10, and-thisshaft drives through bevel gears '11 the upwardly extending timer shaft' 12 WhiChisjOurnaled Vinf the bracket 13 abovereferred'to'- lAtthe top of the' bracket is ai timer casing 'includ-l ing acup-shapedbody-portion-ll'and a removable cover 15, this c'asing-beingnornially stationary but 'capable of adjustment 'to advance orretardthe spark, and' for thatpurpose'it` isprovided With an outstanding lug 16 to whichr the 'spark-',a-dvancemember is designed to beconnected. f llhe casing hasat the e bottomA a Vdownwardly extending 'tubular' flange l17 which surrounds and'maybe turned on the upper Acylindrical'.part 18 offth supported intaeapasainiaf ihebioay portion Hof the Vcasing is airing19 Vwhich may be-formed of bakelite or other suitable insulating material, and in Which are embedded `the,s'egmentsg20 of the timer orcommutator, there being in .this ii'istance` four of these segmentsspacedl "v` apart. The segments may be secured in' placeby any suit- 'abl'e means such as by screws 21 extending 'throughffrom thev outer periphery of the ringy 19.

The primariesof the four coilsf of the `vibrator ignitionV system arefdesigned to be electrically, connected to these segments 20, and thoughfthis canbe done in different lWays, in this instance 'I extend through'the bottom, of `the body portion 14- of the' casing the primaries arefde'signed to beconnected. The upper ends of thesescreWs arel suitably ion Y terminallscrevvs 22 to theouterends of which y connected to these. segments, and in this instance Athis is brought about by extending over, the bottom of the insulating ring 19 contact strips 23 which are connected to and constitute extensions of the segments 20, and by clamping the ring and therefore the strips 23 down against the upper ends of the screws 22, the upper ends of these screwsbeingA shown enlarged for this purpose.V

At the to ofthering Iprovide a station-v ary circuit breaker cam 24 which is :fastened by a pair of diametricallyopposite screws 25, to the insulating ring 19, one of these screws being shown in Fig. l, and both shown in Fig. 3. The cam 24 and ring 19 are secured to the bottom of thecasing by a pair of diametrically opposite screws 26 shown in Figs. 2 .and 3., It is by these screws that the contaot strips 23 connected to the segments 20 are s idly clamped down against the upper ends ofthe terminal or binding Vpost screws 22.

The rotor of the timer includes an insulating head 27 which may be formed of bakelite or other good insulating material, this head having afflanged base 27*i which is'secured by screws 28 to a flanged sleeve 29 pinned or otherwise secured to the top of the timer 'shaft `1250 vas to rotate therewith, this sleeve 2 9 having atits upper end a flange which lies Alnollllted in this opening is a commutator brush 29. The outer end` of this brush is pressed yieldingly against the inner surface of the ring 19 or against the inner faces of the segments 2() by a, coil spring 30 whichlies be-V tween the brush 29 and an. upright metallic Yplate 31 to which the. current is conducted `from the brush 29, preferably-independently of; the spring 30 by a iiexible pig-tail 32 secured to the brushyand to the plate 31. A

Securedv to the/top `of the head 27 is the stationary member 33 of the' circuit breaker, the, function of which, as previously stated herein and, RS, more4 fully explained in my prior application, is to open the primary cirf cuit just before the commutator brush leaves `each of the severalsegments to whichl the primarycoils are connected. .Themovable member of thevr circuit breaker is shown at 34,-and in thisinstance the" circuit breaker member34 is moved into and out of engagement with the contacting portion of the stationary circuit breaker element 33 by an endwise 4movable pin Vor plunger, 35 which is slidably mounted in a transverse opening of ,gages the plate 31 and is therefore ly connected to thebrush 29."

the head above the opening which receives the brush 29. This plunger 35 slidably enelectrical- The plunger 35'carrying the movable circuit breaker member or contact 34 extends beyond the plate 31, and at its enduit is provided with a shoev353L Vwhich is directly opposite or in the plane of the stationary cam 24. As this shoe is rotated, it wipesover the inner face of-tliecam which is here shown as rectangular in sliape,-tliat is tosaygas the shoe approaches the center of the flat faces of the cam the plunger is4 moved linwardly so as to separate the contacts and'tliereby break the primary ci'rcuit,the parts being so` arranged that this occurs each time the brush 29 isv on one ofthe segments 2O,` andjust Vbefore it leaves the latter. Immediately after the brushreaches the next segment, the cir'- cuitl is again closed at the contacts of the circuit breaker as the' shoe moves toward the angle or deeper portion of the cam. The cir cuit will then remain closed until justpbefore the brush leaves this nextcontact when it will againbe opened by the action ofthe next fiat Aface of the cam on the circuit breaker shoe. This action is repeated four times for each revolution of the head.- .t

The circuit 'breaker Vis closed each time the shoe 35il is releasedby the cam, in this instance by a coil spring 36 which lies be-y f tween and bears against the shoe 35a and the plate 31, the spring being compressed as the shoe is moved inwardly by the cam.

In the ordinary vibrating coil ignition system the rotating brush of the commutator lis grounded, but it is important to my invention,

inV order toavoid wiring complications, not ,Y

only thatthe breaker be in series with theI `explained that the commutator brush 29 is electrically connected through the pig-tail `32, plate 31 and plunger 35 to the movable member 34 of the circuit breaker. Therefore, to accomplish theresult above stated, i. e. to interpose the circuit Abreaker between the rotor ofthe commutator and theground, it is only necessary Vto connect thestationary contact member 33 of the circuit breaker to ground, yandfthis is accomplished vby a conducting member 37 in the form of astamping which engages the circuit breaker member 33 and extends -down along the sideA vof the yinsulating head 27 as shown in Fig.' 2, and at its lower end is secured under the head of one of the screws 28 and is therefore electrically connected to thel sleeve 29 and therefore to ground. Y y Y l In `this manner the circuit described in In prior application is completed through the llo iis

circuit breaker from the source of current, i.V e.

\ either magneto or battery through the priciated vibrator in the'well known manner) to the proper segment of the oommutator, through the circuit breaker (when the latter is closed) to ground, and therefore'to the l0,

opposite terminal of thefsource.

IVhile I have shown one embodiment of the invention, this embodiment may be varied in many of its details Without deviating from the principle of theinventiomand I therefore do not desire to be conned to the precise details shown, but'aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve adepartnre from the spirit and scope of my in-` vention as delined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim: A l. In a timer for ignition systems, a stationary element in the form of an insulating ring having` segments and a circuit breaker cam ring attached thereto, a rotor Within the rings carrying a radially disposed brush for successively engaging 'the segments and a circuit breaker having a contact member fixed to the rotor and a radially disposed, slidable, sprngpressed Contact member electrically connected to the brushv and engageable with thecam. f

l2. In aV timer for ignition systems, a stationary element in the form of an insulating v 4 ring having segments, a rotor Within the ring having a brush positioned in the plane of the ring and engaging the segments, a circuit breaker having a stationary contact member carried by the rotor and a second'contact member mounted on the rotor for movement in a plane parallel to that of the ring and brush into and out of engagement with the irst mentioned contactmember, and astan tionary cam in theplanel of said movable Contact member with, Which said Contact member engages. 1

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiX my signature.

MARION MALLORY. 

